Vitamin D deficiency: How common is it and what can I do about it?

Northern climates, along with modern culture, has led us to adopt a lifestyle involving significant time spent indoors. The following provides some statistics showing the frequency of vitamin D deficiency:

• Researchers estimate that 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.[1]
• An American nutritional survey looked at vitamin D deficiency. They defined vitamin D deficiency as a 25- OH vitamin D blood level of below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L). The overall rate of vitamin D deficiency in US adults was 41.6%, with the highest rate seen in African Americans (82.1%), followed by Hispanics (69.2%)[2]
• Similar results from 2011 National Center for Health Data statistics found that almost 1 in 3 Americans has vitamin D blood levels below 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/L). [3].
• According to the latest lab test results from Statistics Canada, most Canadians have vitamin D blood levels lower than the optimal range.[4]
• A large study of over 2,900 Americans showed that 42% of dark-skinned girls and women aged 15 to 49 years had vitamin D deficiency.[5] This showed that those with darker skin were 10 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient.
• In another study, women in the northern United States have shown a high rate of vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy, despite the use of prenatal vitamins.[6]
• Studies outside North America also show that other countries have similar results. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey in the United Kingdom showed that 1 in 5 people have low vitamin D blood levels. [7]

What can you do about low vitamin D levels?

The approach depends on several factors. Most importantly, a healthcare practitioner should be the best resource, as they know about an individual’s medical condition, risk factors, and are familiar with the diagnosis and treatment options available in the area. Sometimes people are given a prescription for higher doses of vitamin D to be taken for a period of time. The recommended dose of vitamin D depends upon the nature and severity of vitamin D shortfall. [8]

Ddrops® products are not used to correct or treat a severe vitamin D deficiency. Where Ddrops® products often come into the picture is after a deficiency is corrected, as an ongoing way to maintain healthy vitamin D blood levels, support bone, and teeth health.

Want to learn more on vitamin D deficiency? Check out our series here.

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